Icha Chateau the Magical Beauty of Chinese Countryside

China’s tea culture has a long-standing history. The contemporary establishments usually adhere to a traditional or minimalist aesthetic, it is always refreshing to see architects and designers approaching the concept of a teahouse through a more creative and innovative lens, as is the case for Icha Chateau’s new flagship restaurant and tea bar in Shanghai.

Housed in a mid-19th-century colonial heritage building in a newly developed outdoor shopping district, local architecture and interior design practice Spacemen have found inspiration in the rolling hills of tea plantations to create a sculptural space of subtle luxury and modern sophistication.

The semi-transparency of the chain-curtains not only offer guests a sense of privacy but also conceals light fittings, sprinklers, ducts, and other equipment as well as camouflages a structural pillar that stands inconveniently in the middle of the space, while their quivering tactility invites guests to touch them.

The result is a dream-like space of effortless sophistication that evocatively conjures in the middle of Shanghai the rural beauty of the Chinese countryside.